A new method for the production of plutonium (IV) fluoride, which is used for the production of metallic plutonium, is described. The method bypasses the oxidation of plutonium(III) oxalate to plutonium(IV) oxide. A production test was executed with favorable yields; the decision to replace the prior method was recommended. This report is from the Hanford Works 234-5 building, March 30, 1951.

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This study was made to evaluate the effects of several operatin variables on the yield at the reduction step in motel fabrication. The original question was whether or not the addition of recycled metal to the charge had an effect on the yield. To circumvent possible masking of such as effect by changes in other operating factors, simultaneous data on the weight of Pu in the powder charge, the % conversion of the powder to PuF{sub 4} in the fluorination step, the firing time, and the maximum temperature were also studied. This permitted estimation of the separate effects of al five factors. The period covered by the data was October through December, 1950.

An experimental batch distillation column was used to purify UF/sub 6/ containing metal impurities. The degree of purification was determined by comparing the spectrographic analyses of the UF/sub 6/ distillate material with the original feed or pot material. Results are tabulated at 95% confidence limits. (auth)

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The question of the conditions under which living matter originated on the surface of the earth is still a subject limited largely to speculation. The speculation has a greater chance of approaching the truth insofar as it includes and is based upon the ever wider variety of established scientific fact. One of the purposes of the herein reported observation was to add another fact to the ever increasing information which might have any bearing upon this most interesting question. It is not our purpose in the present communication to discuss the various proposals or the arguments which have been adduced for and against them. One of the most popular current conceptions is that life originated in an organic milieu on the surface of the earth, (1,2,3,4,5). The problem to which we are addressed is the origin of that organic milieu in the absence of any life. It appeared to us that one source, if not the only source, of reduced carbon compounds in complex arrangements might be the interaction of various high energy radiations with aqueous solutions of inorganic materials, particularly carbon dioxide, and nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia and nitrogen, since it appears that these compounds were the commoner …

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A relatively inexpensive reactor for the specific purpose of testing a sub-critical portion of another reactor under conditions that would exist during actual operation is discussed. It is concluded that an engineering tool for reactor development work that bridges the present gap between exponential and criticality experiments and the actual full scale operating reactor is feasible. An example of such a test reactor which would not entail development effort to ut into operation is depicted.

On 2/8/1950, there was mined from process tube 2273 in D pile at Hanford a quantity of graphite power, which was expected to show the most extensive radiation damage of any graphite available at that time. A series of samples of this powder were annealed in 100 degrees increments from 100 degrees to 2000 degrees C at this labaoratory. There were returned to Hanford and shipped by them to the National Bureau of Standards for total stored energy measurements. The present memorandum is comprised of a description of the annealing procedure used here, curves giving the detailed annealing history of each sample, and various curves derived from data obtained from these samples at Hanford and at the National Bureau of Standards.

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A tentative nickel-plutoniuni constitutional diagram was based on data obtained by thermal analysis, metallography, and x-ray-diifraction techniques. The systema is a complex one with the following important features. Nickel is soluble in epsilon plutonium, extending the epsilon field to 4.3 at.% nickel at 465 deg C. Nickel and plutonium form six intermetallic compounds, PuNi, EnNi/sub 2/, PuNi/sub 3/, PuNi/sub 4/, PuNi/sub 5/, and PuNi/sub 9/. The compound PuNi/ sub 5/ forms congruently from the melt at approximately l300 deg C, whereas the other compounds forma peritecticaliy. The extended epsilon field termainates in a eutectoid reactlon at 415 deg C and l.5 at.% nickel. Epsilon plutonium and the compound PuNi form a eutectic system at 465 deg C with a eutectic compcsition of l2.5 at,% nickel. Nickel and the compound PuNi/sub 9/ form a eutectic system at l2l0 deg C with a eutectic composition of 92 at.% nickel. Plutonium forms a limited solid solution with nickel. (auth)

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A process is presented for recovering U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ from scrap residues varying in content from 2 to 85% U/sub 2/O/sub 8/ to yield a high-purity (99% U/sub 3/O/sub 8/) black oxide. (W.L.H.)

Quarterly progress report of the unclassified sections at Brookhaven National Laboratory providing updates about research and findings.

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The 100-C project is to be located adjacent to the present 100-P Area. It is planned to build an addition to the present 181-B River Pump House using the same elevations for pump settings, intakes, and floors as for the present pump house, thus maintaining the same suction conditions and flood protection as B Area. The 105 Building will be located on higher ground than B Area and, therefore, protection against possible flood damage is assured.

The 100-C project is to be located adjacent to the present 100-B Area. It is planned to build an addition to the present 181-B river pump house using the same elevations for pump settings, intakes, and floors as for the present pump house, thus maintaining the same suction conditions and flood protection as B Area. The 105 Building will be located on higher ground than B Area and therefore, protection against possible flood damage is assured. This report is divided into the following sections: (1) general description of project; (2) addition to existing river pump house; (3) raw water lines from 181-B addition to 183-C lead house; (4) the 183-C filter plant; (5) 190-C process pump house; (6) power house addition; (7) high tanks; (8) retention basins; (9) outside streamlines; (10) primary substation; (11) outside underground lines; (12) outside electric lines; (13) roads, railroads, walks, fences; (14) structural design of all buildings; and (15) architectural design of all buildings.

Authorization has been received in the form of Modification No. 5 to Directive HW-158, dated March 23, 1951 to provide the necessary equipment and piping in the currently planned UO{sub 3} plant to permit the segregation of UO{sub 3} arising from the processing of stored metal waste (TBP) from that arising from ``current`` pile operation (Redox). In anticipation of this, the S Division, Manufacturing Divisions, requested that a study be made of the feasibility and cost of providing facilities for such segregation. This report is the result of that study. It concludes that by providing additional liquid storage and handling equipment, the desired segregation can be accomplished at a cost estimated to be approximately $128,000. $106,500 would be for Construction and $21,500 for Engineering. The schedule for this work will be reflected in the forthcoming modification to the C-361 Project Proposal. The general method of operation is alternately to store and process solution from TBP and Redox. The solution from TEP will be of a composition equivalent to the formula UNH and will require five days each week to process in the decomposition pots. The solution from Redox is received as 60% UNH and is batch concentrated in the storage …

The start-up of the DR Pile at a time when every effort was being made to increase the power levels of the older piles, suggested the possibility of studying, during the early damage period, some of the conditions which were limiting the operating levels of the old piles. Of the operational limitations restricting the power level of the old piles, the maximum graphite temperature is the most severe and actually determines the operating level of the B, D, and F Piles and, to some extent, the H Pile. Though it was known that irradiation damage of the central part of the old piles had been arrested by the increased temperatures which resulted from the replacement of helium by carbon dioxide as the pile atmosphere, the extent of damage to be expected at the new DR Pile, where graphite temperatures were to be maintained as high as possible from the start, was not known, except for the H Pile startup where conditions were somewhat different. This report is intended to be a summary of the lattice conductance variations at the DR Pile during the first five months of operation. From the recorded conductances an attempt has been made to estimate the …

This is a progress report of the production on the Hanford Reservation for the month of February 1951. This report takes each division (e.g., manufacturing, medical, accounting, occupational safety, security, reactor operations, etc.) of the site and summarizes its accomplishments and employee relations for that month.